Game design programs move up to 15th in national rankings

Princeton Review also ranks MFA in design program 20th for game design

March 22, 2017

The game design and
development programs at University of Wisconsin-Stout have moved up in a 2017 national
ranking, and the Master of Fine Arts in design program also has received national
attention.

The university’s two
game design bachelor’s programs are ranked No. 15 in North America by Princeton
Review, an educational services company known for its annual rankings of
colleges, law schools and business schools. The rankings were released Tuesday,
March 21.

Last year UW-Stout’s
programs were ranked No. 21 in North America.

UW-Stout again is the only game design program from
Wisconsin, Minnesota or Iowa in the top 25 list out of 150 programs reviewed.
The No. 1-ranked school is University of Southern California.

In early March,
UW-Stout won a national video game competition, taking first place for Best
Visual Quality in the Intel University Games Showcase in San Francisco. Just 11
schools nationwide were invited to compete. The UW-Stout entry, Everend, was
created by a team of students under the direction of Associate Professor Dave
Beck, director of the game design-art program.

“It is such an honor to be nationally
recognized again,” said Professor Diane Christie, director of the B.S. in game
design program. “Although we have two separate undergraduate degrees, our game
design and development program’s strength comes from the faculty, staff and
students in both degree areas to continue to achieve great things by working
together and producing games of high quality. The success of our program
is reflected in the success of our graduates.”

UW-Stout’s original game design and development program was
approved in 2009 by the UW System Board of Regents. The BFA program was
approved in December 2014.

“Game design is an
exciting field, and programs are springing up in colleges all over the world,” said Robert Franek, Princeton Review editor in chief. “As we continue to help students find
the best program for their needs and interests, we strongly recommend UW-Stout
and each of the other schools that made our 2017 ranking lists. These schools
have outstanding faculties and great facilities which will give students the
skills and experience they need to pursue a career in this dynamic and
burgeoning field.”

Princeton Review is not associated with Princeton University
and is not a magazine.

MFA program ranked

Princeton Review
also released a list of the top 25 graduate programs at which to study game
design, and UW-Stout’s Master of Fine Arts in design program came in at No. 20,
making the top 20 for the second straight year.

The MFA program has eight
concentrations, including game design.

No other program from Wisconsin, Iowa or Minnesota made the
list.

“I was
very excited to see our graduate program ranked for two years now in a row,”
said Associate Professor Julie Peterson, program director. “The MFA in design
program offers graduate students a chance to focus on the ever-growing
discipline of game design. We have a lot to offer our students who want to
take their careers to the next level and customize their experiences.”

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Photos

Top: Game design Professor Diane Christie talks with Chancellor Bob Meyer as he tries virtual reality technology at a recent UW-Stout game expo.